Hello from Cologne, Germany! This city is mixed with very old, old, and brand-spankin' new. Some of the side streets here still have the original Roman pavement. Then you look at the bridge all lit up that connects the city, and you see it's new life. I loved it here. Here is where, you guessed it, cologne originated. I bought the original fragrance, Farina, and it's the best! It's currently my new go to. Cologne in a way reminded me of Boston, you have it's quaint little town center, with architecture from all the way back to the 1500-1800's surrounded by dozens of colleges. It even has it's own little "Allston," across the bridge is where all the college students reside.

I loved the colorful pastel homes, and how every piece of architecture had a story. That's something I noticed a lot traveling through Germany: everything had a legend. Right in the town center stands a beautiful fountain of a maiden sitting beneath a general. The story goes: A man saw a pretty woman selling flowers in the town center, he asked to marry her and she said no, that he had nothing to offer her. He then went off to the army, became a wealthy general, came back, found the maiden and basically said "tough luck." He had the fountain built in the center where she sold flowers so she can always be reminded that she chose poorly. Talk about petty! I guess there's a saying in Germany "If only I had known," based on this story. Now the young girl is sipping on a beer, drinking her woes, haha! Obviously not part of the original design.

And speaking of beer, the beer that they drink here is Kölsch. It's a light, slightly bitter beer, served in tall thin glasses, not stein's like one would think. Refreshing and delicious.